The dog was sleeping in front of the fireplace the other night, so I laid down and used him as a pillow to take a nap. I noticed that his heartbeat was very irregular. 3-5 beats, then 1-2 skipped, very consistent. I woke him up and listened, and it was normal.
When he was sleeping last night, I grabbed the stethoscope and listened again, same thing. I woke him up, and then it returned to normal.
Is this a common thing? Or is it something that should be checked out?
I think that irregular heartbeat is normal in dogs. I got worried about my dog once and spoke with a vet who said that dogs have a "regular irregular heartbeat" if that makes any sense.
It never hurts to call and ask the vet though ... especially with something like the heart. If nothing else, it will put your mind at ease and if there is a problem it is better to catch it as soon as possible.
I did some searching also, and it appears to be pretty common. I wonder if dogs feel the same way humans do when it's happening. I've had it happen to me several times and I can feel it in my throat when it happens, and if I skip a couple of beats in a row, I'll get lightheaded for about a second.
Mike Armstrong Webboard User Reg: 08-06-2005
Posts: 615
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Quote: John Stopps
. . .I've had it happen to me several times and I can feel it in my throat when it happens, and if I skip a couple of beats in a row, I'll get lightheaded for about a second.
Weird.
I've had 'em - PVC's - for 30 yrs, and hope to for 30+ more! but I get checked regularly by a cardiologist. I can notice mine when I'm real quiet or in bed in the early a.m. or late at night.
If you have them and haven't talked to a Dr., I'd suggest you do. They can be benign, as mine are, but that is not always the case, especially if they appear during exercise/exertion. Get a treadmill test - after all, we're talking about your heart here.
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irregular heartbeat while sleeping
#218123 - 11/30/2008 05:51 PM 
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but I get checked regularly by a cardiologist. I can notice mine when I'm real quiet or in bed in the early a.m. or late at night. 
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